ENTERTAINMENTDid Eleven Survive? Sadie Sink Weighs in on Millie Bobby Brown's Character in 'Stranger Things' Finale Mystery
Sadie Sink believes Eleven died in the ‘Stranger Things’ finale, fueling fan debate.
Jan. 12 2026, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Stranger Things finale.
Fans are buzzing over the fate of Eleven in the Stranger Things finale, and Sadie Sink has a controversial take on the matter.
Sadie Sink discussed Eleven’s fate on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 5, Sink, who plays Max Mayfield, addressed the burning question of whether Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) survived her harrowing sacrifice to destroy the Upside Down.
Sadie Sink suggested Eleven did not survive in the finale.
“What do I think? I think she’s dead, I don't know," Sink confessed, sparking an audible reaction from the audience. “Is that a hot take or something?”
Host Jimmy Fallon agreed with her perspective, saying, "I think she is, too."
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In the final moments of the episode, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) tells Max, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Will (Noah Schnapp) that he believes Eleven actually survived. However, Sink interprets Mike’s belief as a way to cope with the loss.
“I think Mike’s story is just one last story,” she explained. “And then they say goodbye to childhood, but that’s just one final tale, and that’s it."
Sink stands firm in her belief that Eleven did not make it, adding, “I think it's stronger. That’s my interpretation. I’m sorry.”
Gaten Matarazzo suggested leaving the ending open for fans to interpret.
Matarazzo, who plays Dustin, holds a different view. He considers the division among fans as “perfect,” emphasizing the importance of the debate. “There should be discourse,” he stated. “The audience can kind of leave it up to interpretation for them.”
He also noted that the characters themselves may not have a consensus on Eleven's fate. “I don’t know if there is [an agreement] among the group as to whether or not they agree,” he said. “I think I would rather leave Dustin’s mindset on that more personal and up to people's interpretation.”
'Stranger Things' aired its final episode on December 31, 2025.
The Stranger Things creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, intentionally left Eleven's fate ambiguous to allow fans to draw their own conclusions. "For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away," Matt revealed. "We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending, even if we didn’t give them a clear answer."
The Stranger Things finale is now streaming on Netflix, leaving fans to grapple with the question: did Eleven truly survive?
